top gear

[top geer]

noun

1. the position or arrangement of parts in an automobile’s transmission that allows for the greatest speed and efficiency; the highest available gear in an automobile.

   The automatic transmission has six speeds, enough to furnish fast, serene cruising in top gear.

top gear

noun

1. Often shortened to: top. the highest gear in a motor vehicle

Word History and Origins

Origin of top gear¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in / into top gear. gear.

Example Sentences

Flintoff, originally from Preston in Lancashire, previously said in a documentary that he thought he had died in the accident, which occurred while filming for Top Gear.

From BBC

Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff has backed a campaign to help more hospitals get helipads, calling them a "vital step in giving me a second chance" after his car crash at a Top Gear track.

From BBC

Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff has praised the "love and compassion" of NHS staff who cared for him after his car crash at the Top Gear test track.

From BBC

In December 2022, Flintoff sustained severe injuries while filming at the Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey for an episode of BBC show Top Gear.

From BBC

In a social media post on X the former Top Gear host said everyone at his Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire "is absolutely devastated".

From BBC